school Attendance

Our attendance target for this Year is 97%

We need everyone to work together to make sure every day counts and we reach our attendance target!

Meadstead believes that in order to facilitate teaching and learning, good attendance is essential. Pupils cannot achieve their full potential if they do not regularly attend school.  We are committed to:

• Ensuring parents follow the framework set in section 7 of the Education Act 1996, which states that:

“The parent of every child of compulsory school age shall cause him/her to receive efficient full-time education suitable – to age, ability and aptitude, and to any special educational needs he/she may have either by regular attendance at school or otherwise.

• Promoting and modelling good attendance behaviour. 

• Ensuring equality and fairness of treatment for all.

• Implementing our policies in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and the UN convention on the rights of a child.

• Early intervention and working with other agencies to ensure the health and safety of our pupils.

• Rewarding regular attendance.

Parents should contact the school as soon as possible on the first day of their child’s absence to explain why they were absent

• A phone call will be made to the parent of any pupil who has not reported their child’s absence on the first day that they do not attend school.  If the school is unable to make contact with the parent/ carer, they may contact the pupil’s emergency contacts and/or other professionals or contacts of the family who could reasonably be expected to be able to advise of the pupil’s whereabouts.

• The staff member will encourage the attendance of any pupil that they believe should be able to attend.

• In the case of persistent absence and severe absence, arrangements will be made for parents to speak to the attendance staff. The school will inform the Local Authority (LA), on a termly basis, of the details of pupils who fail to attend regularly, or who have missed 10 school days or more without authorisation.

• Where a pupil has not returned to school for 10 days after an authorised absence, or is absent from school without authorisation for 20 consecutive school days, the school will contact the Local Authority and follow the ‘Child Missing Education’ guidance.

• Where there are concerns that the absence of a child constitutes a risk of harm, safeguarding procedures will be followed as per the Safeguarding Policy.